Austin news

• Austin officials are sued over South-Central Waterfront funding plan

  29-04-2023 23:32 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – On Monday, a group of Austin property taxpayers filed a lawsuit against Mayor Kirk Watson, Austin City Council members and Interim City Manager Jesús Garza, saying that the City officials should not be allowed to put tax dollars towards the development of the old Austin American Statesman building. In the lawsuit filed in the Travis County District Court, the plaintiffs said that the Austin City Council established the South-Central Waterfront Tax Increment Rein
  
  Read more

• St. Edward's launches weather balloon

  29-04-2023 20:43 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Research students from St. Edward's University launched balloons Friday to study ozone air quality. The university has continued this project for nearly 20 years.Dr. Paul Walter, an Associate Professor of Physics, said the university received a special assignment Friday from the National Weather Service."The National Weather Service reached out to us [Friday], and they asked if we could do a sounding because there's a chance of severe weather,” Walter said.Resear
  
  Read more

• APD: Pedestrian killed by vehicle while walking in traffic lane in southeast Austin

  29-04-2023 20:13 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Friday, the Austin Police Department provided details surrounding a traffic fatality that occurred Tuesday in southeast Austin near Del Valle.APD said at 5:18 a.m. Tuesday, officers responded to a crash between an SUV and an unidentified pedestrian in the 3000 block of South FM 973 heading southbound.Police said when the crash occurred, the pedestrian was walking in the right traffic lane.“The unknown person died on the scene. The SUV driver remained on the scene a
  
  Read more

• It's Willie Nelson's 90th birthday! How you can celebrate

  29-04-2023 20:05 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Willie Nelson, one of Austin’s most iconic celebrities, turned 90 Saturday. If you are keen to celebrate the country music legend, check out a few of these Austin events to celebrate Nelson reaching the “high” age of 90.  Willie Nelson turns 90: See the Texas singer through the yearsHead to 3TEN Austin City Limits Willie Nelson will celebrate his birthday at the Hollywood Bowl, where he will perform alongside dozens of his famous friends, includi
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Teen artists behind mural 'La Mujer', celebrate deeper meaning behind its creation

  29-04-2023 19:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — As trail goers enjoy one of downtown Austin's outdoor spaces, they're now greeted by bold, bright faces like beloved singer Selena and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.These are Latina figures that have undoubtedly made an impact on not only the Latina culture but society.The Mexican American Cultural Center (MACC) unveiled its new mural, 'La Mujer,' honoring Latina women. It's a mosaic mural made mostly of tile material, located on the trail near 600 River Street.
  A g
  
  Read more

• Man kills 5 in Texas after family complained about gunfire

  29-04-2023 18:54 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A man went next door with a rifle and began shooting his neighbors, killing an 8-year-old and four others inside a house near Houston, after the family asked him to stop firing rounds in his yard because they were trying to sleep, authorities said Saturday.
  San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said authorities were still searching for 38-year-old Francisco Oropeza following the shooting in the town of Cleveland, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Houston. He sai
  
  Read more

• How to get to Eeyore's 2023 birthday celebration in Austin

  29-04-2023 17:37 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Saturday marks the return of a truly Austin-style event—Eeyore's Birthday! This is the 58th event to celebrate the classic literary character and gloomy friend of Winnie the Pooh.The organizers, the Friends of the Forest Foundation, have set up in the morning. Mark Boyden, the president of the foundation, said great weather is expected."Before Austin was a tech hub, Austin was a hippy haven,” Boyden said. “And for decades, Austin's crunchiest residents hav
  
  Read more

• Man pleads guilty to 2021 murder, sentenced to 15 years

  29-04-2023 16:47 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man was convicted and sentenced by a judge Tuesday for a 2021 murder after pleading guilty to the charge.Travis County records showed that 23-year-old Roger Chimney was sentenced to serve 15 years in state prison.According to previous KXAN reporting, Chimney was arrested in connection with a drug deal shooting that killed 20-year-old Adrian Lamar Haynes and injured another. The shooting took place at a south Austin apartment complex Jan. 22, 2021. PAST COVERAGE: Man arres
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Austin finishes 2023 winter storm debris clean up

  29-04-2023 15:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — About three months after the 2023 winter storm, the City of Austin said it finished its citywide debris pickups.
  Austin Resource Recovery finished its third pass-through across Austin to collect storm debris from the late January-early February winter storm, a city release said Friday.
  Crews have picked up nearly 170,000 tons of debris. The city said that is enough to fill Q2 Stadium more than four times. Typically, about 6,000 tons of material are collected in a year.The c
  
  Read more

• Manor ISD confirms new superintendent

  29-04-2023 14:47 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Manor ISD will have a new superintendent next school year.
  Robert Sormani will start May 1 with a three-year contract. The Manor ISD board of trustees approve the contract Friday.PAST COVERAGE: Manor ISD announces new Superintendent“I am honored to be able to return to Manor ISD and serve this wonderful community again. I look forward to increasing the academic achievement of all of our students” Sormani said in a release.Sormani worked most recently for Hutto I
  
  Read more

• Texas DPS issues CLEAR Alert for missing man

  29-04-2023 14:38 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Overnight, the San Antonio Police Department said it was searching for a missing man, and the Texas Department of Public Safety issued a CLEAR Alert.According to SAPD, 63-year-old Liwu Qian was last seen at 1:30 p.m. Friday at the 1400 block of Saddle Blanket in San Antonio in a white 2020 Toyota Camry, bearing TX license plate NFF2390.Qian was described as a 5'6" Asian man weighing 140 pounds. Police said he has black hair and black eyes.Law enforcement officials said they
  
  Read more

• Texas DPS discontinues CLEAR Alert for missing man

  29-04-2023 14:38 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A CLEAR Alert issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety for a missing man was discontinued at 10 a.m. Saturday.Overnight, the San Antonio Police Department said it was searching for the man, and DPS issued the alert.At the time, law enforcement officials said they believed the man's disappearance posed a credible threat to his own health and safety.
  
  Read more

• Warmer with less wind Sunday, more storms next week

  29-04-2023 14:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- After a sunny, windy and cool Saturday, we gear up for a bit of a change for Sunday. RAIN TOTALS: See how much rain your neighborhood recordedTonight the wind fades under a clear sky with lows dropping into the cool mid-50s by morning.The last day of April, tomorrow, features sunny skies all day long. A warmer wind from the south and southwest will push temperatures into the middle and upper 80s. Some low 90s are possible in the Hill Country Sunday afternoon.High temperatures Su
  
  Read more

• Sunshine and strong winds on your Saturday

  29-04-2023 14:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A Wind Advisory will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for Hays, Travis and Williamson Counties eastward. Winds will come out of the northwest 15 to 25 mph with gusts as high as 30 to 40 mph.Strong northwest winds through mid-afternoonWindy at noon SaturdayOutside of the wind the rest of the forecast calls for a sunny sky with highs in the low to mid 70s. Highs will be warmer tomorrow afternoon, the last day of April, with maximums reaching the mid to upper 80s. Some low 90s wi
  
  Read more

• Things you may not know about historic Barton Springs

  29-04-2023 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Referred to by some as the “The Crown Jewel of Austin,” Barton Springs as a city facility has provided Austinites a cool refuge during blazing summers for over a century.While going for a dip on a hot afternoon may be the most interesting fact to some, here are a few more historical tidbits about the iconic three-acre pool you may not have known. While the springs as we know them have been used for hundreds of years, the history of Barton goes back even fur
  
  Read more

• 'Left out:' School support staff push for better pay amid teacher raises

  29-04-2023 13:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — After more than two decades serving students as a special education paraeducator, Tammy Reyes feels right at home in her Galena Park school. The struggle begins, however, when she finds no place to go home after school."In my current situation, I'm homeless," she said. "I've been in Galena Park ISD for 23-plus years, and I'm homeless. I don't make enough. It's rough. It's really rough."Tammy makes $23,000 caring for special needs children and serving at the side of teach
  
  Read more

• WATCH: Dashcam footage from Utah Highway Patrol shows wrong-way driver crash

  29-04-2023 13:24 via kxan.com
  
  TOOELE, Utah (KTVX) - Utah Highway Patrol has released dashcam footage of the moment when a trooper struck a wrong-way driver with his patrol car in an attempt to stop him.
  The incident happened on Tuesday, April 18 when a pickup truck pulling a U-Haul was traveling the wrong way on the westbound lanes of I-80 at about 3 p.m. A UHP sergeant was also heading westbound, unaware of the oncoming truck. Once he saw it, he turned on his emergency lights and siren, slowed down and put himself in the pa
  
  Read more

• History made: Austin Energy graduates first woman from climbing school

  29-04-2023 05:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Cherie Agguire made history Friday. She graduated Austin Energy's climbing school, becoming the first woman to ever do so.
  Climbing school is a three-week training program and serves as the official start of a four-year apprenticeship. Agguire was one of nearly a dozen other trainees who graduated Friday.
  "You know, honestly it is a lot of hard work, you do have to be confident in yourself to not only keep up with the men, but just keep up in general with your own progress, you
  
  Read more

• Severe storm threat ends; cooler, windy weather behind the rain

  29-04-2023 03:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Following numerous hail and high wind reports, our threat of severe weather is over. Cooler than normal April weather blows in on Saturday with wind gusts over 30 miles per hour.Jollyville and Granger saw the biggest hail in our viewing area Thursday evening with 1.5"-diameter (ping pong ball size hail) reported. There were numerous reports of quarter size or smaller hail from the Hill Country through Travis and Williamson counties. RAIN TOTALS: See how much rain your neighborho
  
  Read more

• Maternal mortality bill passes Texas House, moves to Senate for consideration

  29-04-2023 01:08 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- House Bill 663, which would create a statewide maternal health data registry, passed in the Texas House of Representatives on Friday.Rep. Shawn Thierry, D-Houston, authored the bill and filed it on Nov. 14, 2022. KXAN Investigates: Mothers ErasedThierry, along with a group of Texas lawmakers, sought answers from the Texas Department of State Health Services after the delayed release of the 2022 Texas Maternal Mortality Report.“As most are aware, maternal mortality and morb
  
  Read more

• PHOTOS: Hail, severe storms hit Central Texas, Hill Country April 28

  29-04-2023 00:52 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Severe storms started moving through Central Texas and the Hill Country Friday afternoon.
  Hail and damaging winds swept across the area. KXAN viewers sent in photos and videos to show the damage caused by the storms.
  KXAN viewer Brien R. Aho sent the below time-lapse video of severe storms with hail and high winds moving through Liberty Hill.
  Viewers in several different locations across Central Texas also sent in photos of storm clouds.
  Storm clouds over Cedar Park on April 28,
  
  Read more

• Former Texas guard transfers to Big 12 rival Kansas

  29-04-2023 00:38 via kxan.com
  
  After one season with Texas men's basketball, guard Arterio Morris entered the transfer portal in early April. Friday, he announced his next destination will be in Lawrence, Kansas with the Jayhawks.Morris, a 5-star recruit from Kimball High School in Dallas and McDonald’s All-American, averaged 11.7 minutes per game and scored 4.6 points per game. He scored 25 points against Louisiana on Dec. 21, shooting 9-for-11 from the field. He scored 20 points for the Longhorns in the Big 12 Confere
  
  Read more

• 'It was scared, it was running around': Raccoons are running through McCallum High School

  29-04-2023 00:37 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — McCallum High School is dealing with some unwanted visitors who just won't go away."This is not the first time me and Noah have reported on raccoons in the school," said Morgan Eye who is a journalism student at the high school.Noah Braun, who wrote a recent article about the raccoons said he has found articles from the past that show similar incidents.
  "There are articles you can find from the 90s, from the early 2000's and even the 2010s talking about this," said Braun.Wh
  
  Read more

Follow @Austin_News_US on Twitter!